IIT Kanpur estimates that cloud seeding across a full winter season in Delhi would cost about ₹25 crore. The current contract for ten attempts is valued at nearly ₹3.5 crore. These figures reflect aircraft operation costs, pilots, silver-iodide material, and ferrying flights. IIT Kanpur’s director described the expense as manageable during a pollution emergency, yet noted that the ideal solution remains long-term emissions control rather than atmospheric intervention.
Recent seeding attempts failed due to insufficient moisture, with clouds carrying only around 15 percent humidity, where at least 50 percent is required. Aircraft sorties covered parts of Delhi but produced no rainfall. Pollution levels saw only marginal and temporary dips, reinforcing concerns that artificial rain is unreliable when meteorological conditions are not favourable. A planned follow-up session was postponed because cloud conditions did not meet technical thresholds, illustrating the dependency of the method on weather patterns that the government cannot control.
Experts describe cloud seeding as a high-cost, short-term tool. At roughly one lakh rupees per square kilometre, artificial rain is among the most expensive emergency responses to poor air quality. Analysts emphasise that even under ideal circumstances, seeding has a limited impact unless supported by fundamental emission reduction strategies. Effective control of particulate pollution in Delhi still hinges on enforcement against construction dust, industrial emissions, waste burning, vehicular output, and regional farm-fire smoke.
India has used cloud seeding for decades, with mixed outcomes in drought and pollution contexts. Mumbai spent a similar sum in 2009 and achieved inconsistent results. Andhra Pradesh ran multi-year seeding operations that later collapsed amid claims of inefficiency and mismanagement. Delhi also attempted seeding in previous years but faced administrative delays and weak atmospheric conditions that hampered execution.
The latest effort again highlights the tension between emergency response and structural planning. Delhi’s winter inversion layer traps pollutants close to the surface, increasing pressure for rapid relief. Yet cloud seeding remains weather-dependent and episodic. Policymakers must balance immediate public-health urgency with fiscal prudence. The question emerging from this winter’s attempts is linear: whether periodic artificial rain serves as a viable contingency or a costly signal of deeper systemic gaps in urban pollution control.
